Crisis of Meaning: First Steps — Make a Decision and Live by Time Blocks

There is a state where a person no longer understands what is happening: decisions used to be made for them by others, and now they sit bewildered, unsure whether to eat, drink, walk, or pray. Sit like that at home for a week or two and it only gets worse. Dr. Saulitis is blunt: the way out begins not with deliberation but with a decision. This brochure is about the first steps when meaning seems to have vanished.

Why delay is dangerous

When you can't make a decision, the brain gets stuck. The doctor describes a professor who couldn't decide which side of the bread to place a glass of compote on — and had to be fed like a child. If you postpone key decisions too long, an "intellectual chewing gum" sets in — endless looping that wears you out.

"If you need more than a day to make a decision, that's a very serious mental disturbance."

Lingering in tension and fear harms the body too: muscles tighten, blood vessels constrict, reactivity rises. That's why a decision must be made as quickly as possible — then clarity comes.

A decision switches the brain on

A decision made starts the body up, like a familiar routine. The doctor compares it: when you have to go to work, the body already knows — you go, you do, you rest on the weekend. The same here: the moment you decide, the brain switches on and starts working on its own.

"You just make the decision — the brain switches on right away, it already knows."

Live the day in time blocks

The first practical step — wherever you are — decide to live clearly, in blocks of time. So that tomorrow you get up and know concretely what you'll be doing at 8, 9, 12, at one, at two. This is moving at "cruising speed": you simply do, without thrashing about.

Gather meaning from small things

Don't wait for anything big. The doctor advises collecting "kopecks" — small, available actions right where you are. Out of small things a ruble adds up, then more. Start with the simplest things, like eating, so you feel how these principles work.

Measure what helps you

The doctor suggests observing yourself like a researcher: you take an action, eat something, make a contact — and notice what reaction it triggers. Don't get angry, don't hit the wall — just write it down: this action, this food, this contact affects me this way. Mark what harms you in red and don't repeat it. Next time you'll already know how your body behaves.

Important: if the state has driven you to the edge, that's a signal for a consultation, not for tricks with yourself. First — sleep, state, homeostasis; and don't stay alone with a dangerous situation.

Practice: first steps

1. Set a deadline. "By tomorrow 12:00 I gather information, then I decide." While the clock runs — relax, don't gnaw at yourself.
2. Make a decision on the key question — and then just do it, without new thrashing.
3. Map out tomorrow in blocks: what you do at 8, 9, 12, at one, at two.
4. Start simple — food, simple actions; fold small steps into one result.
5. Measure and record: what gives energy — repeat it; what triggers a hard reaction — mark it and don't do it again.

When you learn to make decisions, the turmoil lifts, and you see clearly and sharply. The force of mental health begins to work — and you, like a migratory bird, will still find your way.